Pandemic Re-Shaping Air Travel as Passengers Quit and Carriers Struggle

Airlines continue to struggle financially, as travelers worry about the medical safety of air travel.

Although airlines are trying to convince travelers that it’s safe to fly, with mandatory masks rules in place, and hospital-grade air filters used – to make the air safe – travelers aren’t buying it.

On a global level, air travel is down 85-percent.  Several carriers have filed for bankruptcy protection.  And with the coronavirus not showing signs of easing, this Fall, more carriers could follow suit.  The four major U.S. airlines have lost $10 billion since April.

A Consumer Reports survey of 1,000 reveals that 70-percent of those surveyed believe flying is unsafe.

The CDC says that sitting within six feet of someone on a plane poses an elevated risk – But says most viruses and bacteria don’t spread easily on planes, due to the way air circulates.

The International Air Transport Association predicts air travel won’t recover until 2024.